The disclosure relates to a method of separating carbon nanotubes, a method of dispersing carbon nanotubes and compositions for these methods.
Carbon nanotube (“CNT”) is a material in which carbon atoms are connected with each other in a hexagonal honeycomb shape so as to form a tube shape. A diameter of the tube is generally within a range of nanometers (1 nm=10−9 m). The energy gap of CNT varies with its diameter.
CNT's have highly anisotropic properties, and can exist in the form of single wall nanotubes that undergo roping, multi-wall nanotubes, and the like. Further, CNT's have excellent mechanical properties and electrical conductivity, useful electric field emission properties, and a high hydrogen storage efficiency, and the like.
CNT's exhibit semiconducting or metallic property, depending upon the arrangement of the hexagonal carbon honeycombs.
Several methods can be used to produce carbon nanotubes. These are an arc-discharge method, a thermal decomposition method, a laser vaporization method, a plasma chemical vapor deposition method, a thermal chemical vapor deposition method and an electrolysis method.